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Top 5 Tips to Planning a Science Outreach Event

April 19, 2022

A couple of weeks ago our STEMComm Team put together an event for the Atlanta Science Festival called MindCraft. Here we presented several tables with fun arts and crafts that tied into different scientific concepts. My cohort had a table dedicated to the eye and how it views different colors. After going through the process of planning and setting up our station, there were many things I learned. Here are my top 5 tips to planning a science communications event:

  1. Know your Audience 

Being aware of who you will be presenting your content to is very important when considering what you will do. This involves asking yourself a series of questions such as, “How old will they be?”, “Are they new to these concepts?”, etc. By answering these questions, you will be able to cater your event to those specific needs and make it as effective as possible. For example, at our event, we knew that there would be some younger children in attendance so we made sure to have a station that they could more actively participate in by making our table’s craft a coloring sheet.

2. Find an Expert Collaborator 

By finding someone that has more expertise in the area than you, you will be able to not only add to your content, but also get assistance in the overall set-up. At our particular station, we did not have a collaborator and did everything on our own which became a bit more stressful. We quickly learned from some of the other tables that did have collaborators that the work became much easier with more people to split the labor between. In order to find a good collaborator, there are again some questions you should ask yourself – “Who would have knowledge in my topic area?”, “What organizations/people do I have access to?”, etc. By reaching out to an organization that could assist you, you will have people that you can manage so that you get your event set up more efficiently and with less stress on yourself. 

3. Create Eye-catching Visuals 

Striking visuals are another important component of an event. This draws people in initially and gives them something interesting to look at while they take in your content. At our table, this became particularly important since we were talking about colors. With posters and flyers, we were able to display important diagrams and color scales so people could visualize what we were explaining. It is also important to interact with these visuals by pointing or gesturing towards them as it keeps your audience engaged in what you are presenting. In addition, it gives those waiting on your presentation something to look at while you speak to other guests.

4. Include Something Interactive 

For an event such as these, interaction is key. By creating interaction between the audience and yourself as well as your content, people are more likely to learn something. For our particular table, we included an interactive coloring sheet that also included more information about the eye on the backside. This gave the guests something to physically do and apply the content to, plus, they were able to take it home with them! Having something to physically engage your audience with is important overall as it will keep them interested and help them apply and learn what you are presenting.

5. Rehearse Beforehand

When it comes to presenting information to others, it is important that you plan and rehearse what you will say in advance. If you do not do this, it is possible that you get stuck or do not present accurate information. In order to do this, you can set up some quick flashcards with information or use your presentation materials as guides. To rehearse, you can practice in the mirror, to your colleagues, or even to friends. This allows you to become comfortable with presenting the information and will make you sound more knowledgeable when you actually speak about it. However, you want to make sure that it does not sound like you are reading from a script as this could make your presentation boring. Rather, try to make it more casual and engage in conversations with your guests. Furthermore, you should be prepared for questions about your topic area. It is not the end of the world if you do not know how to answer something, but overall having done your research beforehand is important so that you are able to answer questions.

All in all, many components go into planning and setting up a successful science communications event. By following these 5 tips, you can ensure better preparedness and less stress while planning.

If you want to find out more about the specific materials and content we presented at our eyeball and color station, including tips on creating posters, flyers, and interactive worksheets, be on the lookout for another article coming soon! Best of luck with your event!

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  Timothy Durham was convicted of rape when a test showed his DNA genotype matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene. Eye witnesses testified that Durham was in a different state at the time of the incident, but he wasn’t exonerated from his 3000 year sentence until follow up DNA analysis showed that the preliminary forensic analysis used in the trial was misinterpreted (Thomas et al.). DNA testing serves an invaluable part in our criminal justice system, but it comes with complications and bias that can lead to wrongful convictions and misinformed juries.  

Background:

Forensic genetics aims to identify the origin of a biological sample. It can be traced back to Karl Landsteiner who discovered human ABO blood groups. With blood groups, suspects could be eliminated based on their blood type. For example, if a suspect had type A blood and there was type B blood left at the scene by the perpetrator, the investigators could rule out the suspect. Unfortunately, the reverse didn’t work. If the suspect and perpetrator both had the same blood type, it can’t be concluded that the suspect was guilty. Blood identifiers evolved into 8 distinct categories which improved the ability to eliminate suspects, but could only conclude that (if the system matched) it might be the perpetrator or this person might be related to the perpetrator (Jobling and Gill). The field evolved in the 1980s with the discovery of Minisatellites, lines of repetitive DNA that don’t encode proteins. Minisatellite patterns in DNA create what we know today as the DNA fingerprint, and it has a much higher accuracy rate than previous methods (Augustyn et al.). Around the same time, a breakthrough for victims of sexual assault was discovered. In the case of assault, bodily fluids of both the victim and the assaulter can get mixed. A process called differential lysis was created which could selectively increase the concentration of sperm in a fluid sample thereby allowing for accurate DNA testing (Jobling and Gill). Forensics evolved to use single-locus probe testing after several years because of its ease of interpretation. It looked at specific minisatellites that had high variability between subjects. This was the first DNA-based method to be used in a criminal investigation. Two murder homicides from several years apart were connected using DNA evidence. The evidence was then used to exonerate an innocent man, and the guilty party was found when he tried to evade mandatory DNA testing for all men in the small town. His guilt was then reinforced when the DNA profiles matched, and he gave a confession (Jobling and Gill). Finding DNA at a crime scene doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find a murderer. There are issues with non-pure samples and limited samples that make DNA work difficult, and accreditation of facilities and new techniques and take time (Jobling and Gill).  

Subjectivity of DNA Interpretation:

In a 2009 publication, the National Academy of Science discusses the possibility for subjective influence in lab based forensics. The interpretation bias happens in complex cases where, for example, there could be a mixture of DNA. A study published in 2011 looked specifically at this issue. A gang rape happened in Georgia, and the mixture in DNA from the case was used to prosecute one suspect after another suspect took a plea bargain to testify against him. With DNA mixtures, there are three possible conclusions: suspect excluded, suspect cannot be excluded, and inconclusive. If the suspect is excluded, it means that there’s little to no possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. If the suspect cannot be excluded, it means that there’s a possibility that his DNA is part of the sample. In the trial, the DNA examiners who knew the context of the case concluded that the suspect being prosecuted could not be excluded. The 2011 study gave the DNA evidence from this case and the DNA profiles of the suspects to 17 forensic examiners. These examiners had no context of the case, and they all worked independently. Of the 17, only 1 came to the same conclusion (suspect cannot be excluded) as the examiners who knew the context of the case. Twelve of the 17 concluded that the suspect who was prosecuted and convicted had no relation to the DNA found in the sample. Not only does this show that subjectivity occurs due to the context of the case, but the 17 examiners came up with different findings based on their past experiences meaning that not all DNA analysis is objective. Some organizations like the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods say that quantitative statistical evidence should be presented with every categorical conclusion, but the US doesn’t require this (Dror and Hampikian).

False Positives:

There are two categories that cause wrongful identification in a DNA report: coincidental matches and false positives. Coincidental matches are DNA matches between two unrelated people. The probability of these matches is about 1 to 500,000 for white individuals and about 1 to 350,000 for black individuals. This small probability of coincidental matches makes people feel confident in DNA evidence. False positives, on the other hand, are matches between DNA and test DNA that result from issues in the forensics lab. There have been multiple cases of forensics labs accidentally switching victim and suspected rapist DNA which lead to convictions that were later overturned when the lab realized the error. There are also cases of misreading or misunderstanding a sample. In a case from 1993, a man was convicted of rape because someone interpreted a mixed sample of victim and perpetrator DNA as an individual sample. The conviction was again overturned. To prevent false convictions, retesting DNA is allowed, but it’s not an efficient solution. Many people are pushing for statistical information on the probability of false positives, so that the jurors can make accurate judgements based on DNA evidence (Thomas et al.).  

Conclusion:

DNA analysis is a useful tool for the criminal justice system, but subjectivity can be an issue in forensic testing. To combat wrongful convictions, there are organizations like The Innocence Project who use DNA testing to free the innocent, but reformed forensic testing standards should be put in place to prevent subjectivity and to ensure juries are correctly informed during trials. https://www.innocenceproject.org/    

Citation:

Augustyn , Adam, et al. “DNA Finerprinting.” Encyclopedia Britannica , 26 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/DNA-fingerprinting#ref153186. Dror, Itiel E., and Greg Hampikian. “Subjectivity and Bias in Forensic DNA Mixture Interpretation.” Science & Justice, vol. 51, no. 4, 2011, pp. 204–208., doi:10.1016/j.scijus.2011.08.004. Jobling, Mark A., and Peter Gill. “Encoded Evidence: DNA in Forensic Analysis.” Nature Reviews: Genetics, vol. 5, no. 10, Oct. 2004, pp. 739–751., doi:10.1038/nrg1455. Thompson, William C, et al. “How the Probability of a False Positive Affects the Value of DNA Evidence.” Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 48, no. 1, Jan. 2003, pp. 1–8., doi:10.1520/jfs2001171.